ISE Annual Report to the Congress 2014

This report is submitted by the Program Manager for the Information Sharing Environment (PM-ISE) on behalf of the President, as required by Section 1016 (h) (2) of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (IRTPA) of 2004, as amended.

Accompanying, but distinct from this report, are substantial performance data and links to best practices, lessons learned, frameworks, and initiatives that are increasingly being packaged as reusable tools and accessed broadly via the Information Sharing Environment’s website at www.ise.gov/annual-report/ and www.ise.gov. In past years this material was directly integrated into this report. Accomplishments, opportunities, and the way forward described in this report are based on this qualitative and quantitative performance data, as reported to the Office of the Program Manager, Information Sharing Environment by various agencies; on performance trends year-by-year; and on the evolution of priority threats as they have been identified, and changes in our operating environment. Readers of this report are encouraged to dig deeper into specific topics of interest via our website.

In December 2012, the President released the National Strategy for Information Sharing and Safeguarding (2012 Strategy). Subsequently, the White House and the PM-ISE released the 2012 Strategy’s Strategic Implementation Plan. The 2012 Strategy and its implementation plan defined the general vision and framework for responsible information sharing across the national security and public safety environments, and provide the specific efforts needed to continue maturing the Information Sharing Environment. Both documents build on and integrate the tools and initiatives reflected in our nation’s tremendous investment in terrorism-related information sharing. Positioning these tools and initiatives for reuse and further integration into the overall national security framework shapes the discussion in this report.

ISE in Action

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA)

This law, as amended, directed the establishment of an Information Sharing Environment and its Program Manager, based on recommendations from the 9/11 Commission.

Presidential Policy Directive 21

The Nation’s critical infrastructure is diverse and complex. It spans sixteen sectors, and is owned and operated by public and private sector entities. It contains many interdependent systems in both physical and cyberspace that must be secure and able to withstand and rapidly recover from all hazards. Presidential Policy Directive 21-Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience, issued in February 2013, establishes national policy on critical infrastructure security and resilience; clarifying roles and responsibilities across the Federal Government, and enhancing overall coordination and collaboration with its private sector partners.

PPD-21 assigns a federal agency, known as a Sector-Specific Agency(SSA), to lead a collaborative process for critical infrastructure protection within each of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors. Each Sector-Specific Agency is responsible for developing and implementing a sector-specific plan (SSP), which details the application of the NIPP concepts to the unique characteristics and conditions of their sector. Sector-Specific Plans will be updated over the coming year to align with the NIPP 2013.

National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP)

Our national well-being relies upon secure and resilient critical infrastructure—those assets, systems, and networks that underpin American society. This requires efficient sharing of actionable and relevant infor­mation among partners to build situational awareness and enable effective risk-informed decision making. NIPP 2013: Partnering for Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience -- outlines how government and private sector participants in the critical infrastructure community work together to manage risks and achieve security and resilience outcomes.